Fr Ben Garren

Dear Siblings in Christ,

What exactly is it to go about missionary work? There is the first thing that comes to many individuals minds, direct proselytization. Preaching at people on street corners or requesting people gather in a space to hear the message of the Gospel. Another route is going into the midst of the people, working with them amidst their struggles, connecting their own desire for liberation with the Liberation of the Gospel. Herman of Alaska went about both as a Russian Orthodox Missionary to Alaska when it was being colonized by the Russian Empire.

For a short while he went about the normal reality we expect from missionaries, the conversion of the native population that was expected by the empire. Quickly, however, he joined the indigenous people of Alaska in their resistance to the cruelty of the Colonial government and chartered companies exploiting the people and resources of the land. Herman became truly beloved by the community, however, only after he moved on from both these roles... and took up his calling as a hermit.

It was amidst this life, living as simply as possible in the Alaskan wilderness, that people began to seek him out. As a spiritual guide, as a mediator of disputes, as a person imagining an alternative way of engaging the world. It was then that his ministry truly began and a Christian Community began to gather around him from disparate parts of the community. It was this life that lead to him becoming the Patron Saint of Alaska within the Orthodox Church.

Herman of Alaska reminds us of a third mode of going about mission, living a quiet life that reflects the brilliance of the Gospel. His ministry calls us to ask how our more quiet moments, our simple patterns of day to day living, are beacons for the Gospel Light. In a distinct way this is the foundation of any other evangelism we may do. As we celebrate his feast today allow yourself to discern how your day to day, how the ways you retreat from the world can be part of what brings light to the world.

Peace,

—Ben